The wilderness changed again.
The deeper the Exploration Unit traveled into the southern wildness, the stranger the world became around them.
Ancient ruins gradually disappeared.
Broken temples stopped appearing between valleys.
Collapsed towers vanished from the landscape entirely.
And in their place—
The jungle began.
Not ordinary forest.
Not even the mountain woodlands they crossed before.
This was something older.
Wilder.
Untouched by civilization completely.
Gigantic black-rooted trees towered toward the heavens like ancient pillars supporting the sky itself. Thick silver mist drifted endlessly between colossal roots while vines thicker than human bodies wrapped around cliffs and branches like sleeping serpents.
Sunlight barely reached the ground anymore.
The deeper they moved—
The darker the world became.
Even sound felt strange here.
No birds.
No ordinary animals.
Only distant growls.
Movement within the foliage.
And occasionally—
The horrifying silence of predators watching unseen from darkness.
The Exploration Unit moved carefully.
Far more carefully than before.
Armor remained partially covered to reduce noise.
Campfires became smaller.
Scouts rotated constantly.
Because instinctively—
Everyone understood.
This was no longer the outer wilderness.
This was the true wildness of the South.
Several monsters attacked throughout the journey.
Massive black panther-like creatures capable of camouflage between shadows.
Winged insect colonies larger than wolves.
Predatory vines reacting to mana signatures.
The expedition fought continuously.
Harvested continuously.
Survived continuously.
And yet—
Despite the danger—
The explorers themselves had changed greatly.
Formations became sharper.
Retreats became cleaner.
Combat coordination improved significantly.
Even panic during monster encounters had decreased noticeably.
Kel silently observed all of it while leading from the center of the formation.
The wilderness wind moved softly through his black coat while his dark eyes continuously scanned the terrain around them.
Sairen's voice echoed quietly through the soul-link.
"…They've adapted surprisingly fast."
Kel calmly stepped over a gigantic root while replying internally.
"Fear becomes experience if people survive long enough."
Sairen softly laughed.
"…You make human growth sound terrifying."
Kel ignored the comment.
Because ahead—
Something had changed.
The jungle suddenly became quieter.
Too quiet.
Kel's eyes narrowed faintly.
Even the surrounding explorers gradually noticed it.
No insects.
No movement.
No distant growls.
Only silence.
The atmosphere itself felt heavy.
Oppressive.
Then finally—
One scout quietly raised his hand.
"Cave ahead."
The expedition immediately slowed.
Through layers of gigantic roots and hanging vines—
A massive opening became visible within the mountainside ahead.
The cave entrance alone towered nearly thirty meters high.
Dark.
Ancient.
Cold air flowed outward from within carrying faint traces of blood and something far heavier—
Predator scent.
Several explorers visibly stiffened.
"That thing is huge…"
One mercenary muttered quietly.
Kel calmly observed the cave entrance several moments.
Then slowly spoke.
"We explore carefully."
Nobody argued.
The expedition entered cautiously.
The cave interior stretched endlessly into darkness illuminated only by faint glowing minerals embedded within the black stone walls. Water dripped rhythmically from above while gigantic claw marks covered parts of the cavern like scars left by some enormous creature.
The deeper they walked—
The stronger the oppressive pressure became.
Bones gradually appeared across the cavern floor.
Monster skeletons.
Broken horns.
Crushed skulls.
And among them—
Human remains.
Several explorers visibly swallowed nervously.
The cave widened further ahead until eventually—
They reached the center chamber.
And then—
Everyone froze.
The cavern was enormous.
Large enough to swallow castles.
Massive stone pillars naturally formed throughout the chamber while glowing crystals illuminated sections of the cave in dim reddish light.
At the center—
A gigantic nest rested upon elevated black stone surrounded by bones and shattered scales.
The nest itself looked horrifyingly massive.
Then suddenly—
A low growl echoed through the chamber.
Every explorer instantly reacted.
"Hide!"
The expedition scattered behind stone formations and giant pillars immediately.
Several mages suppressed their mana presence instinctively while mercenaries tightened grips around weapons desperately trying to control their breathing.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the cavern.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The sound alone shook the ground beneath them.
Then—
It appeared.
A Wild Drake.
The gigantic creature entered the chamber slowly beneath glowing crystal light.
Its dark-scaled body stretched nearly twenty meters long while massive clawed limbs crushed stone beneath each step. Thick leathery wings folded against its back while jagged mountain-like spikes extended from its spine toward its tail.
Smoke escaped faintly from its nostrils.
Golden predatory eyes scanned the cavern slowly.
The pressure alone nearly suffocated several explorers.
One younger mage visibly trembled while hiding behind a broken pillar.
Another mercenary silently mouthed prayers beneath his breath.
Because everyone understood immediately.
If the creature discovered them—
Most of the expedition would die.
The Wild Drake slowly approached the center nest before lowering its gigantic body near the eggs resting there.
Five enormous eggs.
Dark crimson with black vein-like patterns running across the shells.
Even hidden—
The explorers felt their hearts tighten seeing them.
Drake eggs.
Priceless.
No.
Far beyond priceless.
Any noble house capable of raising drakes would gain terrifying military advantage.
Flying predator cavalry.
Living siege monsters.
Absolute battlefield superiority against ordinary armies.
Even one trained drake could alter regional warfare entirely.
And there were five.
The Wild Drake remained near the nest several minutes while low growls echoed softly through the cave.
Then eventually—
The massive predator rose again.
Its wings spread slightly.
The pressure inside the cavern intensified instantly.
And then—
The creature left.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Its footsteps gradually disappeared deeper outside the mountain range.
Silence returned afterward.
Heavy silence.
Several explorers immediately emerged from hiding breathing heavily.
"We need to leave."
"No treasure is worth this."
"That thing could kill the entire expedition!"
Panic spread quickly through the cavern.
Even veteran mercenaries looked visibly pale now.
One scholar immediately stepped backward from the nest area.
"We should retreat before it returns!"
Several others immediately agreed.
"Yes!"
"That's not a monster we can fight!"
"We'll die here!"
The atmosphere grew chaotic quickly.
Fear spreading naturally beneath the oppressive cavern.
Yet amidst the growing panic—
Kel remained completely silent.
Standing near the shadows of a giant stone pillar.
Watching.
Not the cave entrance.
Not the fleeing explorers.
The eggs.
His dark eyes remained fixed upon the five drake eggs resting quietly within the enormous nest.
Sairen immediately noticed.
"…Kel."
Silence.
Then slowly—
The guardian's voice narrowed suspiciously through the soul-link.
"…You're thinking something dangerous again."
Kel remained silent several moments longer.
The cave wind moved softly through his black coat while distant echoes of the drake's fading footsteps still lingered beyond the mountain tunnels.
Five drake eggs.
Not merely treasure.
Future military power.
Aerial dominance.
Elite forces.
Strategic superiority impossible to purchase normally.
And deep within Kel's mind—
Calculations had already begun.